It is a popular myth, and one which is often repeated by politicians themselves, that the Israeli lobby in Washington has disproportionate influence over policy. This is inaccurate, and politicians who claim it to be true are simply trying to conceal the real brokers of influence who control them.
Supporting the Zionist experiment is not being imposed upon politicians against their will by an all-powerful Jewish lobby. That is a lie. There is a complex web of interests which benefit from US support for Israel.
The pro-Israel lobbies, all combined, spend approximately $3 million to $4 million annually to influence politicians. The top beneficiaries of US support for Israel, however, the defense and aerospace industries, spend about 10 times as much, around $28 million. If support for Israel was against the interests of the defense industry, the Jews could spend double, or three times as much as they currently do, and it would not bring them the policies they want.
Furthermore, we should note that the lobbies who spend the most, and are the most active in trying to influence the federal budget and appropriations of funds, including foreign aid, are not the Israeli lobbies, but again, the lobbies of the defense and aerospace industries.
Pro-Israel organizations are not even among the top 50 lobbies who pay to influence budget appropriations, indeed, not even the top 100.
We talk a lot about AIPAC, but the reality is, they have almost no impact whatsoever on US support for Israel, if Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and United Technologies turned against Israel, not only would AIPAC be powerless to counter them, most likely, AIPAC would start denouncing Israel themselves.